On set, I didn’t have scenes with them, but at Sundance and the San Francisco premiere, I got a chance to connect with Tichina. When I met her, I was starstruck. And to my surprise, after watching the film for the first time, she came up to me and said that I stole the show. Just being around her and seeing that she is a real person with amazing energy was motivating. It allowed me to realize that there’s not much difference between being a “regular person” and a famous actor. What I took away was that the most significant thing is consistency, showing up, and never giving up. AM: Being in the Bay Area for the last 20 plus years, I’ve seen the City go through cultural transformation. I can recall how vibrant the Fillmore and Mission District were in the 90s and early 00s. With the tech boom and infusion of tech money, at times, I feel that I don’t belong in the City anymore. There’s a line in the film that, for whatever reason, I can’t get out of my head, “Remember your truth in the city of facades.” How have you remained true to yourself as you navigate the current challenges the City presents? Also, how do you see this tension impacting the communities that you are directly a part of? JG: My mom always told me that going to Cathedral prepared me to be able to deal with new San Francisco, and she was right! A lot of the undertones that I can pick up on now are things that I learned while at Cathedral. Cathedral was not all bad, but it did show me that white and non-Black people live in a different San Francisco than Black Natives do. I grew up on the low socioeconomic side of San Francisco, and I was taught to get by. So now as an adult, that’s what I do. The biggest challenge with living here is the economics and the lack of culture. AM: Your character in the film reminds me of a guy that would get on my nerves. You are always cracking jokes, capping on folks, and one-upping the next person. Yet, your character serves a purpose and brings value. How do you want people to connect with your character? JG: I want people to look at my character and realize that Black men have emotions. One thing about my character is that you see a full range of emotions—happiness, anger, and, later in the film, vulnerability. Frequently, Black people in general and Black men specifically are not humanized. We are put into boxes and expected to stay there when in reality, who we are is much outside of the box. My realness is what I want people to see. AM: Most people who know you would say you are a talented man and always on the move. With all of your gifts, what are you doing now, and what’s up next? JG: Thanks, man! Next up, I have a lot of music coming out. I just wrote a film with one of the cast members from Last Black Man, so we’re looking to get that funded and feature it next year. I am currently working on policy change for the mistreatment of Black people in San Francisco.
Flim poster (center) and photos from Last Black Man Standing in San Francisco
AM: I recall some struggles you had experienced. And in all of our recent conversations, you always speak about being a proud Cathedral School alumnus. Looking back, how did CSB change the trajectory of your approach to life and learning? JG: Well, I can undoubtedly say that going to Cathedral saved my life. I understand how much the environment and the people around you influence your future. I was taught the meaning of “birds of a feather flock together” or the saying, “If you hang out with four people who do a certain thing, you’ll end up being the fifth person doing it.” There was a group of guys I grew up with from my neigh- borhood, two Black and two Latino. They were a year older than me. We went to the same elementary school. We hung out all the time. We were best friends. Fast forward—the two Black men ended up each serving six-year sentences in prison, and the two Latino men served sentences of 25 years. For those in my neighborhood, it was more likely for you to go to prison than go to college. These friends of mine are not bad people. We had similar academic abilities, but due to lack of the opportunities and resources I had, they became products of the neighborhood—statistics. I share this story, not because I was the only friend who didn’t go to prison, but also because I am the only person from my elementary school, my family, and my neighborhood that earned a Bachelor’s degree. AM: You are a resilient man. Speaking of resiliency, how did you connect with The Last Black Man in San Francisco film project? JG: Getting into the film was a mixture of being in the right place at the right time and being ready to take the opportunity when it came. I saw Jimmie (the lead character in the film) in December of 2012. We both came back from our first semester at college. He went to school in New York, and I was attending Loyola in New Orleans. Both environments were terrific. San Francisco seemed heavy in comparison. During this interaction, he told me he wanted to make a movie. Fast forward to 2014, I had just dropped out of college, I had no direction, and all I knew
was that I wanted to act. I was hanging out in Jimmie’s room with Nat (Joe Talbot’s brother) and Jeivon (Sacred Heart Alum and also in the film). After some time passed, Jimmie and Joe walk into his room and said that they need to use the room to work on a movie. When I heard that, I was like, “Count me in.” I worked with them that day and got invited to my first official reading. Sometime later, I went through a series of auditions. In the end, they decided to write me in as a character.. I got a chance to help with casting, writing lines, and providing an authentic San Francisco perspective to the film (that many Bay Area movies lack). Life comes full circle because if you watch the movie, my scenes are shot in the old neighborhood that I lived in while I went to Cathedral. AM: You must be a mind reader. You directed me right to my next question. The film’s opening scene has a man on a box talking truth to power and speaking to men cleaning up the Hunters Point neighborhood wearing hazmat suits. Growing up in that neighborhood, what does that scene represent to you? JG: To me, growing up in Hunters Point was the best. I think people are finally beginning to realize how great the community is. That’s why it’s currently being gentrified. I just think it’s a massive coincidence that when it was a majority Black neigh- borhood and many Black people had disproportionately adverse health effects due to food deserts and pollution; nobody cared. But as soon as the City was aggressively gentrified, the area’s pollution became a big deal. Nonetheless, I, fortunately, wasn’t affected. This scene repre- sents the fact that people have been yelling about what has been wrong for years, yet nobody listens. AM: Mike Epps is hilarious. I loved the character “Pam” in the show Martin. I also enjoyed Danny Glover in all of those Lethal Weapon movies when I was a kid. What was it like to work with artists like Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, and the legendary Danny Glover? JG: I had met Mike Epps and Danny Glover personally before the film, and they were very cool. They love the Bay Area and especially San Francisco, so that made me happy.
I have recently created a non-alcoholic drink—”02 Juice”—a play on my rap name Stunnaman02. I developed the juice to give people a healthier alternative to drinking soda. AM: I recall when you gave the alumni speech at the Sports Banquet in 2012. You had some strong words of wisdom for our student-athletes. As you have evolved over the last eight years, what powerful words would you share with the current CSB student body? JG: In a world that is already complicated, simplicity is key to me. Believe in yourself before you believe in anybody else. Investing in yourself is necessary because if you’re not whole or thriving, how will you have the capacity to invest in and help anybody else? When happiness and success are opposed then your mindset will always make you choose between the two. AM: Jordan, I appreciate your vulnerability and honesty. Peace and blessings, my man. JG: I got you, Coach Mullen. Do me a favor, and keep being a great individual.
36 | CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
FALL 2020 • RED & GOLD | 37
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